Clothespole



Feb. 18, 1936.

v E. F. CHAMBLESS c LoTHEsPoLE Filed NOV. 22, 1954 Patented Feb. 18,1936 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE half to Joseph W.

Fay, Villa Park, Ill.

Application November 22, 1934, Serial No. 754,330

7 Claims.

My invention relates to clothes-poles such as are arranged acrossclothes closets from one wall to another and attached at opposite endsto the molding strips or cleats with which the walls of -f the closetare provided.

Extensible devices of this character for employment in closets of variedwidths have been provided before, but the mountings for these deviceseither have not provided the requisite strength or have been difcult toattach, or, when attached, were impossible to remove Vwithout mutilatingor destroyingA the attachment means.

The object of my present invention is to provide an extensible device ofthe character above described with improved means for attaching the endsof the device to the molding strips or cleats with which the walls ofthe closet are provided, which improved means will provide attachmentsof requisite strength and attachments which may be readily applied, andat the same time are adapted to be readily removed without mutilating ordestroying the attachment means or pole.

Further objects and the features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the presentinvention, showing fragmentarily at one end a section of one of thecloset walls supporting one end of the device;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational View of one end of the poleshown in Figure 1, showing the attachment means therefor; and

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, 5--5 designate theopposite walls of a closet; 6 6 supporting strips, such as molding orhookstrips secured to the walls; and 1 the improved extensibleclothes-pole.

The extensible clothes-pole 'I is shown as comprising telescopicallyrelated sections in the form of tubes 8 and 9 equipped with means I0 andII, respectively, for attaching the ends of the pole to the supportingstrips 6, 6. The attaching means at I0 and II are of the same form andconstruction, and are applied to the tubular members 8 and 9 in the samemanner, so that a description of one will suffice for both.

Describing the attachment means at II), it consists of a sheet metal capI2 having an end wall I3 and an annular ange I4 receiving telescopicallythe adjacent end of the tube 8. The end of the tube fitting within theflange I4 has integral tabs I5 which extend through diametricallyopposite arcuate openings I6 in the end wall I3, and are turned over andclinched firmly to the wall I3 rigidly to join the cap to the tube. Itis to be understood that the invention may employ other means than themeans shown for rigidly securing the outer ends of the tubes 8 and 9 tothe respective caps I2. The opposite end of the outer tube 8 may befinished by means of a ferrule II.

The cap I2 is provided with a wood screw I8, the shank of which passesthrough the center of the end wall I3 and extends axially from the endlof the pole. The head of the screw I8 is disposed internally of theannular flange I4 at I9, and the screw isrigidly joined to the cap I2,-for example, by upsetting the shank radially outwardly at 2|] to securethe wall I3 between the upset portion 26 and the head I9. Other meansmay be employed for rigidly joining the screw I8 to the cap I 2.Adjacent its headed end the screw I8 has a square or non-circular neck2l which locks the screw against rotation with respect to the cap I2.

To provide leverage means for tightening the screws I8 into place, theflange I4, of each cap I2, has a pair of integral and diametricallyopposite wings 24. These wings 24 are turned or bent out to extendradially from the adjacent pole section, and the opposite vertical edgesof these wings have flanges turned outwardly at 25 to form finger-piecessuitable to be grasped between the fingers. The nger pieces 24 arejoined to the flanges I4 by connecting portions 26 which, preferably,widen toward the flanges I4 to provide adequate strength.

In applying the pole, its sections 8 and 9 are extended between themolding or hook-strips 6 on opposite walls 5 until the screws I8 areengaged with the strips 6 sufiiciently so that upon turning the screws,they will be threaded into these wood strips 6. The screws I8 may thenbe threaded into the strips 6 by grasping the pole sections 8 and 9 andturning the same, for example, in opposite directions, the screwsthreading into the strips 6 with the turning movement of the polesections. As the caps I2, at the ends of the tubes, are brought uptoward the strips 6, the finger-pieces 24 may be grasped and the screwstightened rmly into place, the fingerpieces 24 providing leverage meansfor this purpose. These finger-pieces also provide for releasing thescrews from secure attachment, and after they are released, they may bethreaded out of the strips 6, or other supports, by graspreir ing thepole sections and turning the same in directions opposite to thedirections in which they are turned in applying the device.

I do not intend to be limited to the precise details shown or described.

I claim:

1. An extensible clothes-pole comprising telescoping pole sections andwood screws extending axially from the outer ends of said sections andjoined rigidly thereto, whereby said screws may be threaded into moldingstrips and the like by grasping and turning the pole sections. l

2. An extensible clothes-pole comprising telescoping pole sections, Woodscrews extending axially from the outer ends of said sections and joinedrigidly thereto, whereby said screws may be threaded into molding stripsand the like by grasping and turning the pole sections, and radiallyextending ringer-pieces adjacent the outer ends of said pole sections toprovide leverage means for tightening said screws.

3. An extensible clothes-pole comprising telescoping pole sections, capmembers rigidly secured to the outer ends of said pole sections, andWood screws extending axially from the outer ends of the pole sectionsand joined rigidly to said cap members, whereby said screws may bethreaded into molding strips and the like by grasping and turning thepole sections.

4. An extensible clothes-pole comprising telescoping pole sections, capmembers rigidly secured to the outer ends of said pole sections, woodscrews extending axially from the outer ends of the pole sections andjoined rigidly to said cap members, whereby said screws may be threadedinto molding strips and the like gy grasping and turning the polesections,andfinger-pieces formed integral with said cap members andextending radially from the outer ends of said pole sections to provideleverage means for tightening said screws.

5. An extensible clothes-pole comprising telescoping tubular polesections, cap members having end walls adjacent and annular flangesf1tnecks between said abutments for preventing` .relative turningmovement between the screws and the pole sections.

6. An extensible clothes-pole comprising tele- Scoping tubular polesections, cap members having end walls adjacent and annular flangesiitting Y over the outer ends of said pole sections, tabs on the outerends of said pole sections and iltting through openings in the end wallsof said cap members and turned over and clinched to said cap members,Wood screws having Shanks passing through the centers of the end wallsof said cap members and extending axially from the opposite ends of thepole, said screws having abutments on opposite sides of said end wallsfor securing the screws thereto, polygonal necks between said abutmentsfor preventing relative turning movement between the screws and the polesections, and linger-pieces formed integral with the annular anges ofsaid cap members and extending radially from the opposite ends of thepole sections.

7. An extensible clothes-pole comprising telescoping pole sections, capmembers rigidly secured to the outer ends of said pole sections, woodscrews extending axially from the outer ends of the pole sections andjoined rigidly to said cap members, whereby said screws may be threadedinto molding strips and the like by grasping and turning the polesections, and leverage means formed integral with said cap members fortightening said screws.

ERSYL F. CHAMBLESS.

